Elijah Syndrome
The Prophet of Fire refers to the prophet Elijah. He was regarded as one of Israel’s most prominent and renowned prophets. He was instrumental in bringing about a resurgence in the Northern Kingdom. Elijah performed a lot of miracles for God. Along with Abraham, Moses, and David, he was one of the most important figures in Israel’s history.
One of the most remarkable miracles he has done, was when he confronted King Ahab, the pagan Queen, Jezebel, and the prophets and worshippers of Baal. He challenged them in order to prove that his God, is the only living God.
The challenge was to offer bulls and persuade their gods to burn the offering. In a fruitless attempt and after dancing for Baal the entire day, the counterfeit prophets were utterly defeated because their prayers were not answered. Elijah, on the other hand, gave them a handicap by commanding the false prophets to soak his bull, the wood, and the earth. As Elijah had instructed, they poured water three times over everything, even creating a trench with water around the sacrifice. Then Elijah started to pray to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, pleading with him to authenticate himself and his servant, as well as to bring the people’s hearts back to him. Fire descended from heaven and engulfed everything in the trench, including the rocks, dust, and water. The victory was at the hands of God and Elijah. Elijah went to Ahab and ordered him to return to his palace since the rains were about to begin. For years, Ahab and Jezebel clung to power, but on this day, the people returned to the real God and resolved to serve Him alone.
However, the story does not end there. Queen Jezebel had threatened to assassinate Elijah. Elijah had grown disillusioned, frustrated, and terrified. His first response was to flee. He was fleeing from his divinely ordained task.
Sometimes, we become Elijah when we are preaching, teaching, or practicing the Gospel. It is natural for us to experience and face the heat of Satan’s hostility, and retaliation. But we should always remember that our God is more powerful than all of hell combined. May we never forget this, and may we hold on to the victory we have achieved with God. May we embrace our God-appointed task, and find confidence in the fact that He is with us in our battles against flesh and spirit.
